Le Bon Temps
by DestroyingAngels
Summary: 1928 New Orleans, when the moon was full and the pianos dueled, the melody carried their soulless tunes. She owned the night, no creature walked her streets without paying homage.
1. Miss Higurashi

Rating: M for violence and sexual situations  
Disclaimer: I only own Valentin, everything else I'm just playing with.

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_...1928 New Orleans..._

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Edward Anthony Masen stalked the Quarters the moment the sun sunk into the horizon. The soft lulling of horns drifted on the air stirring his curiosity. As the upper class citizens cleared the streets, he noticed another crowd filling in as the night consumed the remaining light. There was something on the air; it was an inhuman presence.

"What's a young thing like you doing by your lonesome?"

Edward focused his eyes on the woman leaning against the brick wall. Her ankles crossed as she rested at the entrance of the alley. She wasn't dressed like anything he was used to seeing. Crimson silk brushed her knees; the front of the dress cut low revealing her pale skin. He arms crossed below her breasts, the long bell sleeves reaching her hips. He dared to breathe...nothing. Her thin brows lifted as her pink lips quirked in amusement.

"I'm taking in the sights Miss…"

He trailed off meeting her dark blue eyes.

"Miss Higurashi if you must," she finished. "If you were from here you'd know why it's unsafe to wander the Quarters alone."

Edward chuckled as he said, "I'm plenty capable."

Her thin shoulders lifted as she said, "Sure." Honestly, she looked like she didn't believe him

"Isn't it dangerous for a lady to be alone?" Edward asked, teasing her.

She motioned her chin past him causing him to glance over his shoulder. An officer glared at him. Edward caught the way the officer scowled before he walked off. He could hear the man's low mutter of _'dangerous creatures.' _It was impossible he knew what he was.

"I'm plenty capable," Miss Higurashi teased, drawing his attention.

"Call me Edward," he said.

"Well Edward, I better clear the streets and get ready for the show."

She rolled her body off the brick and turned. He wasn't sure how what she wore could be considered clothing; her back cut low like her front. She flashed him a daunting smirk before she stepped forward and vanished.

He wondered if she were vampire. The woman didn't smell like death, or a shifter. She also didn't react like a human.

Laughter erupted behind him as people wearing masks and cloaks danced down the streets. The steady tapping of a drum joined the lullaby of horns. The music drifted from the alley. If there was a show, he wanted to see. Stepping into the darkness, this is why he left Carlisle. He wanted to do things his way, discover life.

The alley stretched on until he suddenly found himself at a dead end. The man standing at the end of the alley grinned. His shaggy black hair hung around his tanned features. His white dress shirt hung loose around his black pants, his feet were bare. Edward glanced at the man's face noting his green eyes; they were equal in height.

"Well, well, well. Valentin never seen your likes 'ere before." The stranger at the door smirked, he looked him over. "Care to introduce yourself to Valentin?"

"I'm looking for a girl…"

"Aren't we all?" Valentin chuckled.

"...she was short, foreign, and…"

Valentin laughed, his head leaned back before he spread his hands and said, "We all strangers here." Edward scowled as he opened his mouth, but Valentin shook his head and said, "Listen." Edward wasn't expecting to hear anything. There music was beating against the door, trying to escape. "You tell Miss Higurashi that Valentin said to play nice."

Valentin stepped forward pulling open a metal door as he stepped aside and motioned him along. The beat of the music lured him. Edward looked at the man one last time before stepping inside. The door groaned as it shut, sealing him within the dimly lit hall. Candles lined the walls, wax rolling toward the floor where it puddled; he could smell sweat on the air. As he moved down the hall, the dull hum he heard outside gave way to the sorrowful tune of a saxophone.

The room was charged with an energy an inhuman energy, and every mind around him was shut tight. Eyes glanced at him before focusing elsewhere; just like that, he was dismissed. On the stage was a hefty colored man, saxophone cradled to his body like a lover. The melody lingered on the air as he pulled away, his lips moved.

_Gonna down to the Orleans,  
Leavin' dis all behind  
I hear her ah' callin  
Whisperin' of sweeter times._

His head snapped to the left as a coppery tang filled the air with the soft popping of a cork. A male held a wine bottle. The liquid he poured was thick, dark red as it coated the glass. There was no doubt it was blood. He stepped forward feeling a familiar ache in his throat.

_Made a deal with the devil,  
He said I got another day  
I hear him whispering,  
Telling me to play._

Edward let his gaze drift back to the stage as the feminine voice rose above the music. Miss Higurashi was standing on a small balcony above the stage. She licked her lips; her voice echoing through the room. The melody continued its rhythm even as she lifted her hands.

"Welcome to Le Bon Temps, were the good times never stop rolling!" Cheers erupted in howls, yips, and clapping. She snapped her hands forward halting the excitement as she grinned. Edward's brows lifted when he spotted fangs in her mouth. She lifted a leg and pushed herself onto the small ledge before letting her legs hang over. "In the streets out there, law and crime try to tell us what we should be doing...but we all know I do what I want."

She pushed off the ledge, floating to the ground and landing on her toes. The cheers erupted as she shouted, "In here, the blood that flows doesn't go to waste! In here, we live for moment, seizing our day! In the Orleans, what's mine is yours as long as you give first!"

_When Madam calls,_  
_The blood will fall, in the Orleans._

Edward felt around his mouth wondering why he didn't have fangs. For a moment, he thought she was acting foolish and for show. Yet, he couldn't imagine why'd she do such a thing. Something inside here wasn't human, and as she crossed the distance he knew she was positive he'd entered another world. She snatched a glass flute from a tray as she crossed the distance. The flute was filled with blood, it slowly traced its way from the glass to her mouth as she weaved through the crowd. It was empty and she set it on a table before she reached him.

"Edward, I knew you'd find my niche," Miss Higurashi said, smiling. Her fangs gleamed in the candlelight. The tip of her tongue traced the teeth between her fangs. Left, right and right, left-like a metronome.

"What is this place and what are you?" Edward asked as he watched her.

Carlisle hadn't spoken of places like this. He wondered if Chicago had such gatherings, or New York. A bottle and two glasses were brought over and placed on a table. Miss Higurashi took a seat and motioned for him to the same. The waiter eyed him for a moment before leaving.

"Welcome to my supernatural getaway, Le Bon Temps. I'm called Miss Higurash. Creatures that anger me call me Madam. As for what I am, I'm the owner of this town and you've entered my territory with no announcement." Her eyes studied him before she sighed. "I can see Northerners have no manners."

Edward scowled as he said, "I was passing through…"

"Not all is safe in New Orleans, and those that pass by owe me tribute."

Edward laughed thinking it was a joke. She didn't laugh as she lifted the glass and let the blood drag along the glass and into her mouth.

"I've got nothing."

She leaned forward, delicate nose sniffing. The frown upon her face showed her distaste at whatever she found.

"You're one of those," Kagome sighed as swirled her blood.

Edward scowled as he asked, "One of what?"

"One of those vampires. A creature that can walk in the day and survive...provided you don't die of embarrassment." Kagome took a delicate sip as she lifted a brow, challenging him to refute her.

"And what are you?" Edward asked, tone annoyed.

Kagome grinned as she said, "I'm Queen of this city and no one walks these streets without paying homage to me."

"I hate to sound repetitive, but I don't have anything," Edward said.

Her eyes were the type of sky blue that turned grey when the weather soured. There was a bad weather on the horizon. She lazily eyed his legs before she dragged her gaze the length of his body.

"I'd be willing to take a pound of flesh."

Edward felt she meant literally. She stretched, her chest lifting toward him as she continued grinning.

"Valintin said to play nice."

Her eyes widened before she laughed, her mirth lost in the music. Kagome leaned forward placing her hand on his knee as she kept his gaze. He tried to brush against her mind only to find himself blocked.

"Oh Edward," Kagome sighed, "I've been a vampire for close to four centuries...your little tricks can't affect me."

"Tell me what you are!"

He gripped her wrist, adding strength that was normally restrained. The sound leaving her mouth was mirthless as her brows knitted in annoyance. Her free hand wrapped around his throat; they were flying through the bar. His back slammed against brick causing the foundation to shake.

"I warned you; you shouldn't disrespect me in my city!" She squeezed, he could hear the bones in his neck protest. The wall groaned, dust spilling as she pushed stepped forward. His eyes took in the patrons of the bar; they ignored them as the music continued. "Your Volturi doesn't hold influence with my breed." The tip of her tongue played with her fang. "Killing you would be a hassle, but I don't mind a little mess."

His fingers bit into her wrist and he lifted his foot intent on kicking her away. Kagome chuckled as she the impact shook her, but didn't move her.

"What are you?"

"It's all in your choice, what you want me to be," Kagome said, calmly with a grin, "your death, or a good time."

Kagome released him allowing him to land on his feet. She stepped back watching him as he rubbed his throat. She wasn't anything he could kill, and he doubted he'd make it far if he chose to run.

"A pound of flesh, for a safe stay in New Orleans."

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...TBC...

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Author's Note:

My first attempt at writing a Twilight and Inuyasha story! I wanted to write a story based on the time when Edward went off on his own. The Inuyasha part is AU, as you all can tell. I hope you enjoyed the first part. I plan this to be a three chaptered story and the other parts are finished, just in my editing phase!

Remember, this story is 'M' and will have violence and sexual situations!

Please review!


	2. Vetala

II

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_The moon was cruel tha' nigh'_  
_Ah' bitter wind blowin' …_  
_She was oh so cold…_  
_Oh, so, oh, ahh...lone_

"Valentin, shut up!" Kagome snapped.

She glared at the man as he put the harmonica to his mouth. The notes flew out as he winked at her, the corner of his lips curling. The past was something she didn't want to think about. It was four hundred years behind her, where it should be. The future was nervously sitting at a table eyeing the glass of blood like it was poisoned. It'd be stupid to waste good blood.

"One night for a free pass in your city?" Edward questioned. He was trying to read her again; she smirked. She was too old to be open to him and far too used to invasive techniques.

_His heart was dead_  
_But he got the means,_  
_Taking her places she neva' seen_  
_It was just a prick…_  
_...the bloodletting had begun._

Kagome ignored Valentin as he continued to sing. Edward was whom she needed to focus on if anything was to come of this night. Her stomach clenched, a familiar hunger rising as she anticipated winning him over.

"I normally don't ask for such things, but you enter my city without announcement and insult me," Kagome said, her brows furrowing.

Edward tasted the blood, deciding it wasn't poisoned he took a deeper drought. Kagome waived her finger back and forth in a ticking motion as she waited for his answer. He was buying time, being brash might get him dead and she was pleased he was taking his time.

_It was just a prick,_  
_And she was oh so dead._  
_The moon was cruel tha' nigh'_  
_When her heart was oh so dead._

"I wasn't aware…"

"Ignorance isn't always bliss, Edward."

_Beneath the stones,  
he left 'er oh so cold._

Valentin wasn't going to quite singing, and she could see Edward putting the pieces together. He was listening to Valentin's song more than their current predicament. This stalling and indecision was so he could hear the rest of the song play out. Leaning forward, she placed her hand over his glass and glared at him.

"Tick-tock, Edward, my patience has worn."

'_Er heart still as nigh',  
But her soul thirst for more,  
Tha' cruel moonligh' shine down,  
She rose as something._

"You can't harm me," Edward said as he grinned at her. "You can try to take your pound of flesh." He slipped the glass from under her hand and took a sip.

Her lips curled as said, "Wonderful."

Valentin chuckled as he hopped off the stage. The familiar sound of the saxophone filled the silence left by Valentin's song. Kagome pushed away from the table and curled a finger signaling him to follow. Her eyes glowed in the darkness before she winked and slinked into the crowd. His footsteps, no matter how light, were still a bit too heavy. There was no doubt he was young; she was going to enjoy this.

* * *

Miss Kagome 'Madam' Higurashi died at the youthful age of eighteen. She'd been searching for a flower that blossomed only on the full moon only to find herself buried beneath stones and moss three days later. She'd awaken lacking living attributes with a hunger that burned her throat. Everything she felt was intense: hunger, anger, lust, and fear. The fear drove her to run far and fast from her friends. The shame she felt after her first kill drove her further away right toward the creature that killed her.

"What type of undead are you?" Edward asked.

Kagome pulled herself from her memories. Emotions and memories were the quickest way to a true death. She knew she couldn't recover from having her heart torn out.

"I'm a vampire."

"…you're not like me."

Kagome smirked as they descended the stairwell. The darkness blanketed them only to be pierced by light when she opened a door, pulling it toward her. The carpet was black, her walls covered in silks of crimson and blues. Ribbons hung from the ceiling above her round bed.

"I'm vampire, one of the many creatures inhabiting the darkness." She shut the door. "We're both undead, cursed by circumstance."

Her room smelled of warm apples. The light of the candles flickered as the wicks burned creating a warmth in the underground room. Her bed was off to the far right, but she ignored it. Walking to the ribbons, she wrapped them around her arms and lifted herself. Satisfied they held, she unwound herself and motioned Edward forward.

"I've traveled a bit and have come across a few vampires like me," Edward said.

"Your Volturi took care of most of the rogues, but they hold no power over other undead."

"You keep saying _other_, what do you mean?"

Her fangs were down as she slowly said, "Those cursed to be undead, possessed by some demon, some that are just monsters, and then those from whatever bloodline." She grinned at him before she stretched. "Strip."

"Bloodlines?"

"Strip, I shall talk."

His fingers worked the buttons on his shirt slow. Kagome explained that his breed didn't have _sires. _There are breeds that don't have sires; his type and those possessed by a demon. Her breed of vampire was bound to a sire despite its origins. It was possible for a corpse to be possessed and create a fledging. That fledging would then be the start of a bloodline.

"I killed my sire long ago. A sire is supposed to guide his fledging…I ripped his heart out."

He removed his shirt before he peeled his undershirt off. Kagome eyed his pale body before reaching out and spreading her hand along his chest. His flesh was tougher than her own, hard and chilled like a rock. Leaning forward, she pressed her tongue to his chest and pulled back. A quick flick of her wrist and she watched his blood bead to the surface; he could be damaged. She gazed at the drop upon her finger before bringing it to her mouth.

"So, what type are you?"

"My sire was demon from India. He possessed a corpse and traveled for a few centuries until he came upon my country. Before he killed me, he tethered me to my corpse with part of his essence." Kagome circled Edward as she twisted the ribbons around his arms. She trailed a silken blue ribbon down his chest, ensnaring his ankles beneath his pants. "My breed is rare, but we are strong enough to put your Volturi in their place."

Her eyes lifted trailing up his legs, along the contours of his sculpted chest to meet his eyes. Kagome allowed her hands to follow the path laid bare before her eyes. She pressed her cheek to his stomach, feeling it hitch as their flesh connected.

"There are differences between us, but we share a common trait…we must feed."

Her tongue snaked out between her pink lips, teasing the rim of his belly button. Gently, she nipped her way toward his left hip where pants and skin met. Her hands curled around his hips as she exhaled a puff of chilled air upon his flesh. A soft noise escaped him, he was withholding from her. She grinned against him.

"It's hard to make me bleed," Edward said as he gazed down at her.

Kagome smirked as she said, "I like a challenge."

Standing, she inhaled his scent smelling the Quarters and the humid air of the swamp on his skin. It wasn't often his type came to town. They knew better to avoid her state. There were many types of undead, but her breed rubbed other supernatural beings wrong. She ran her tongue upward, tracing the line of his neck before she inhaled. They were all predators, but she was the big fish in the pond.

"You can't harm me."

Kagome shut her eyes, feeling the beast in her rise at his challenge. He owed her a pound of flesh for a safe stay in New Orleans. Calming herself, she figured it was better to show than tell. Opening her eyes, she pulled back to meet his gaze. Her lips peeled back. She allowed all her fangs to drop. His eyes widened and she struck. Her mouth latched onto the side of his neck, her saliva coated his flesh weakening it before she pierced him.

Her hand slithered along his back before she cradled the back of his neck and brought him closer. She wrapped her arm around his body cradling him. A moan escaped his lips as she drew blood from the wound. Pulling back, she ran her tongue along his flesh lapping up his blood.

"How…"

"I secrete venom that's diluted in my saliva, it tenderizes your flesh. By biting you, it was injected into your body." She cradled his face in her hands making sure their gazes met as she assured, "I won't do anything to you, you won't enjoy."

"What are you?"

"I'm Vetala." She trailed her nails along his down his face. "Just relax."

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Edward wasn't sure what a Vetala was. He knew there were creatures lurking in the darkness, but Carlisle hadn't explained those details. The Volturi had been explained along with the rules. It was ignorant to think they were the only things out there especially when he knew of shapeshifters.

Kagome wasn't a like him.

Her lips peeled back, he watched the fangs emerge from her gums. They were sharp, curved, and covered her human teeth by a quarter of an inch. They were concealable and long enough to pierce deep. There was no doubt her fangs could render flesh, after all, they were extreme for getting blood When her tongue touched his flesh he withheld his hiss. Warmth seared his skin before it tingled and went numb.

She was poisonous; he found it fitting. Then she bit him, her teeth sunk him into with little resistance, like the sun cutting through clouds. Despite the sharp sting of pain, he melted under her touch. She sucked; the sensation of her pulling something out of him and into herself caused him to freeze.

He could feel the venom working in his system. His body tingled and sensations he hadn't felt in close to a decade ignited. Kagome chuckled, the sound vibrating through him as she trailed her fingers from his shoulders down his arms.

_Relax, _Edward thought with a smirk.

"I don't think I can do anything else," Edward said.

Her skin was softer than his skin. The palms of her hands chilled, and with a softness he knew only in human flesh. The venom was working in his system slowing his reactions, warming his body from within.

"My venom can kill humans, but it'll only slow you down. I prefer not to kill," Kagome said against the side of his mouth.

She leaned back; his legs didn't catch him causing him to cause fall forward. The ribbons she twisted around his limbs supported him leaving him hanging at an angle to the floor. They bit into his arms with the added pressure causing him to hiss. He opened his eyes, not realizing he'd shut them, and focused on the floor. His body felt alive, his senses were overloaded causing him to chuckle. Her fingers ghosted along his chest causing him to grin.

"It's so powerful," Edward said, his voice husky.

"Vetala are able to prey on anything, so our venom must be potent," Kagome explained.

He lifted his head meeting her eyes before he asked, "Are you going to take my flesh?"

Her smirk unsettled him. He'd never thought of something taking his flesh and wondered if it would work. His skin would crack like glass whenever damaged. It wasn't often something damaged him. When her fangs pierced him, the thrill of being injured stirred a heat within his belly. He turned his face toward her when her lips brushed the corner of his mouth, trying to catch them.

"You'll enjoy what I take," Kagome said, voice low.

And then her lips caught his: cold, soft, teeth hitting teeth, as she swallowed him. Her hand held his chin as she devoured him. He didn't deny her as he allowed her to use him. Open mouth kisses peppered his mouth, the venom slowing him, as he struggled to keep up. Each movement was demanding stirring his inner monster as he pressed back. His hands clenched as he pressed against the ribbons wanting take control and tear into her.

The hand on his chin tightened before her nails dug into his scalp. She gripped his hair and pulled his head back, arching his neck painfully as she hissed. Harshly, she shook his head for left to right as she scowled. Their gazes met, and to her confusion, he smirked. His eyes were dark, the bruises beneath them even darker as he watched her.

He snapped his teeth at her before he laughed.

"Things don't get control," Kagome hissed.

Edward saw a flash of her teeth before she was at his neck and his world went black.

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**_Author's Note:_**

I do own the songs in the first chapter, and this one. They're a little something I made up. I hope the venom Kagome has made sense, as did much of her explanations.

Questions? Feel free to ask!

I'm so happy this was well received!


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